Electrical display-sign



H. E. SMITH. .QELECTRICAL DISPLAY SIGN.

APPLICATION FlLED FEB. 14y1921.

Patented Sept. 6, 1921.

ZIiiE/IV/ INVENTOR. HERMH/v 4-. 544/777,

A TTORNEY ,STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HERMAN E. SMITH, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIG-NOR T SMITH-HEGHT COM-PANY, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, A. COPARITNEBSHIP.

ELEC'FRICAL DISPLAY-SIGN.

wearer.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 6. 1921.

Application filed February 14, 1921. se'riaim. eraser.

To all whom it may concern: Be it known that I, HERMAN E. SMITH, acitizen of the United States, and a resident .of Indianapolis, county ofMarion and State of Indiana, have invented a. certain new and usefulElectrical Display-Sign; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to theaccompanyingdraw-- ings, in which like numerals refer to like parts.-

'This in'vention relates to that type of sign wherein the sign front isof tI'ZI-HSPELI: e'nt material and is illuminated from the rear byan'arrangement for causing a plurality of colored lights to pass acrossits face in various configurations.

One feature of the invention consists in the construction of thecorrugated reflector which reflects the colored light from theilluminator on the face of the sign in varying forms.

Another feature of the-invention pertains to the bearing support for therevolving colored drum, andmore particularly to the -manner of mountinga supporting projec tion on the illuminator, and the thimblelike bearingfor supporting the drum on the bearing point of said projection.

Anotherfeature of the invention lies in the arrangement of the inclosinghousing wherein it is formed with a semi-circular rear portion and isprovided with ventilators in'the top and bottom so as to cause a currentof air to be set up therethrough so as to engage and cause the drum torevolve upon its bearing.

Still another feature of the invention consists of the small stamped outreflecting surfaces formedin the reflector so as to reflect at adifferent angle, which gives a curious effect to the reflection on thesign.

The full nature of this inventionwill be understood from theaccompanying drawings and the following description and claims.

Figure 1 is a perspective view'of the sign. Fig. 2 is a cross sectiontaken through the center thereof on the line 22 of Fig.

1. Fig. 3 is a section'takenon'the line 3-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 isanenlarged'side elevation of the illuminator with the bearing supportmountedthereon. Fig. 5 is a cross section through the tip oftheilluminating B6 bulb and a portion of the bearing support.

Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of the corrugated reflector showing theperforations therein. Fig. 7 is a' cross section through that portion ofthe reflector shown in Fig. 6.

In the drawings there is shown a sign comprising a frame 10 with atranslucent face 11 consisting preferably of a ground glass upon whichthe sign is painted, there being mounted in the rear of the glass andframe, and forming a. part thereof, a semicircular housin 12 preferablyformed of sheet metal. 1 ounted in the housing, upon the bottom thereofandapproximately at 'i the center, there is a lamp socket 13 to whichare connected the circuit wires 14,

which may be attached to any suitable source of current. Supported, andelectrically connected, in the socket 13 there is provided anincandescent lamp bulb 15 so mounted as to extend vertically toapproximately the center of the housing.

Mounted upon the lamp bulb, and adapted to clamp thereon, there is abearing support 16 comprising a. vertically extending wire having apointed end provided with a loop or ring 17 adapted to encircle theprojecting tip 18 of the lamp-bulb and having secured thereto aplurality of downwardly extending embracing arms 19 adapted toyieldingly engage the curved surface of the bulb and embrace theenlarged portion thereof. By means of this arrangement the bearingsupport can bereadily mounted and removed from the lamp and will be heldin proper position thereon when placed in use.

Supported upon thebearing support there is a revolving drum 20 providedwith a frame upon which is secured a transparent wall, such as mica,having a plurality of stripes or designs of varying colors through whichthe light will pass from the bulb,

transmitting the colors to the reflector and the sign. The drum isprovided with a fan- ,like top having radial blades 21 arranged to bedriven by the air current passing upwardly through the drum, which iscaused friction to be overcome, there is provided a thimble li-kebearing member 22 formed of any suitable smooth substance, such asglass,

\ over which the fan-like top .is suspended.

' The inner top surface of the thimble bearing will rest upon the pinpoint of the bearing support which will be revolved about it, Thisarrangement enables a very sensitive bearing to be formed in a simplemanner and permit the drum to be mounted and removed without anyadjustment of the bearing surface.

A plurality of ventilating openings 23 are formed in the bottom of thehousing immediately below the drum, and a ventilator cap 24L, 0f theprotecting type, is arovided in the top of the housing immediate y abovethe drum, andis spaced therefrom to shield a central ventilating hole24* in the top thereof whereby an air current will be set in motionthrough the drum and fan, for .revolving the same, by the heat of thelamp drawing the cool air through the bottom and up through the fan andout through the ventilators at the top.

For giving a curious play of moving colored configurations upon the faceof the sign, there is provided an angular corrugated reflector 25 uponthe inner side of the rear semi circular wall. The corrugated reflectingsurfaces of the reflector 25 are obliquely formed, as illustrated inFig. 2 and provided with a plurality of perforated sections 26 cuttherein witli the reflecting portion of-said sections bent back, asshown in Fig. 7. This arrangement causes a distorsign having anincandescent lamp bulb mounted therein, a translucent face'and arevolving drum adapted to be revolved by the heat rising from saidilluminatonof a translucent face and a revolving drum adapted to berevolved-by the heat rising from said illuminator, of meansfor'refleeting the light rays-generated from said illumin'ator,comprising asheet metal refleeting surface made so as to reflect therays from said illuminator on to the face of said sign, and a pluralityof comparatively small reflecting surfaces formed in said reflector outof the normal plane thereof for changing the direction of thereflectedrays when reflected from their surfaces.

3. In combination W1l3h--1111 illuminating sign having an illuminatormounted therein,

a translucent face and a revolving drum adapted to be revolved by theheat rising from said illuminator, of means for reflecting the lightrays generated from said illuminator, comprising corrugated sheet metalreflecting surfaces mounted in position to reflect the light from saidilluminator, whereby the direction of the reflected .colored rays willbe suddenly changed-during their travel across the face of said sign assaid drum revolves, and a plurality of refleeting sections formed in thecorrugated portion thereof by cutting said metal and bending it soas tocause the light rays tobe reflected therefrom at a varying angle.

In witness whereof Ihave hereunto afiixed my signature.

HERMAN E. SMITH.

